The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-08-20
OLD SETTLERS.
The Annual OLD Settlers Picnio--A Grand
Success---The Addresses NEARLY
-Four Thousand Present.

The old settlers and the young settlers be
gan TO pour into town at an early hour
Thursday morning. Many stayed il the
city till afternoon, but many went to the
grove and ate regular, old.fsshioned picnic
dinner. By 10 o'clock the grounds we're
pretty we'll populated, and the crowd multi.
piled rapidly from that time till 2 o'clock.
Owing to the absence Of the officers, the ex
ercises didn't begin until an hour after the
prescribed time. At half past eleven, how
ever, the meeting was called to order by the
president, Mr.. d. L Carpenter, who intro,
duced the chaplain Of the association, Rev.
NJ. Bstcheller, who offered prayer. He
spoke of the hardships endured by these
brave emigrants, who left their eastern homes
to build in the wilderness, and he prayed
that the blessing Of Providence might rest
upon them and theirs. The old man has
seen great deal Of early life in this county
himself, and could speak from his own ex.
perience. His prayer was very pathetic and
eloquent. The president then delivered his
address of welcome. He said:
FRIENDS, OLD SETTLERS, AND YOUNG SET
TIERS 1t gives me great pleasure TO vel
come you here today Another year has
passed with Its joys and sorrows, many
bright anticipations have not been realized,
he silent messenger has entered many Of
your homes and taken your loved ones from
your midst and let void in your hearts
that time alone can heal. see many famil.
lar faces here today-some Of the pioneers
of LaSalle county, who saw these beautiful
prairies and groves of timber in their native
grandeur, the red man still pursued the
game, caught the fish from the steams, and
cultivated small patches of corn for his sub
sistence little over half q century has
produced marvellous change, Where there
was raised few bushels Of grain. now mil
lions of bushels are harvested annually (;
where then few white settlers had reared
their log cabins, now dwell $4,000 people,
whose dwellings and other Improvements
will compare favorably with any portion Of
the United States there Was then prospect
Of canal in the near future, but railroads
we're not thought Of, now we have canal
that must and will be enlarged, and anyone
can travel all day on the different railroads
of LaSalle county without going beyond its
borders.
This year has been disastrous to the
farmer, which those Of other avocations
must experience to q greater or less degree,
from the unprecedented drouth still there
will be enough to feed all our people and
also our stock, for that wsstefulness so pro-
verbal of the western farmer will be changed
to the greatest care in saving all that can be
utilized. | sincerely hope that landlords
will not distress their tenants, who planted
and cultivated with care, while nature has
failed from adverse winds and other causes
to furnish the requisite moisture to produce
the ears of golden corn in their usual abund,
ancet on which we place so much dependence
to feed our stock and exchange for the me-
cessaries and comforts Of life
The marvellous change in converting these
wild prairies into beautiful farms and all
their improvements is supplemented by the
like change in the mode of farming. Until
within the last fifty years, the inventive
genius of the Yankee had done but little to
tighten the labors of the farmer. They used
the same implements that their grandfathers
had used, with few exceptions. The cradle
had taken the place Of the sickle, the fam
ming mill had superseded the hand fan, the
revolving horserake had come into use. and
few other minor improvements were rail-
that were made in century. Now the music
of the Grader, whetting his scythe, is
changed to the click of the binder, as it
turns out it well.bound shesves. And not
less has been the change in the household
department. Then most of the clothing worn
by the family was made at home, from the
raw material raised on the farm. A complete
set of implements for converting fax into
linen, or wool into cloth, would be an inter
esting curiosity to our young people. The
rising generation of young men know but
little of the toll and hardships of their
grandfathers. Many of them know not how
to use the scythe. the cradle, the fail, or
even the axe-the first and most important
Of all, which has cleared the Eastern States
of its giant growth of timber, and with
which our forefathers hewed out their farms
from tangled forest.
1t is we'll that you should meet here today,
for the old to impart to the young the trials
incident to the settlement Of a new country,
also their pleasures and psstime. Hauling
their grain to q distant market with OK
teams camping out by the wayside, where.
ever the shades of night overlook them ex-
changing their wheat for q small pittance,
which was paid out for few of the neces.
saries of life The trip usually consumed
four days, and often a week. Those times
are past, but old settlers love to meet and
talk them over. This day can be made pleas
ant and profitable to US all for what is more
enjoyable than meeting with old friends.
We have reason to be thankful for the
many privileges we enjoy. Our country is
at peace with all the world; our young men
are not being enrolled and drilled in the arts
of war,
The past year has been one Of general
good health-no epidemic has spread its
dark wings like pail over our land.
Yonder proud flag, the emblem of our ma
tionality, is respected in all parts of the civ.
ilized world. There are few who would
trail it in the dust, and raise in its place the
red flag of anarchy all such persons should
be transported from our soil-they should
not enjoy that freedom vouchsafed to the
American citizen.
Once more, bid you all a cordial welcome,
especially those Of our friends who dwell
beyond our borders.
The presidents address of welcome was
A. - unu,lond ~